In bicycle advocacy, we often cite the troubling statistic that, while women make up 51 percent of the American population, we accounted for just 24 percent of U.S. bike trips in 2009. As we discussed at the National Women Cycling Forum (and will tackle at the upcoming National Women’s Bicycling Summit), there are a number of complex factors that contribute to women riding less than men.

Katie Schanz

But that trend is shifting — and the National Bike Challenge is proof.